Fresno stadium spiffed up for Grizzlies opener. ‘Best the ballpark has looked since 2002’ | Opinion

When Fresno Grizzlies fans file into Chukchansi Park for Tuesday night’s home opener, they’ll probably notice a few changes.

One of them — the first complete replacement of the playing surface since the stadium opened in 2002 — should be obvious. Others, including a new shade of paint on the stucco exterior, are more subtle.

The primary color remains off white. It’s just a less beige-y version of off white and more on the gray spectrum. “Faded gray” is the official name, according to Grizzlies president Derek Franks. Meanwhile, fresh green paint covers the metal girders and support beams that hold up the second desk. Other trim work and accents around the 10,650-seat stadium went from peach and purple hues to “platinum” and “legendary gray.”

“I spent a lot of time talking about paint color during these last few months, that’s for sure,” joked Franks, a 20-year employee of the minor-league baseball team. “It’ll be a more modern look when it’s all said and done.”

While painting in some hard-to-reach areas will continue until May, the new field made its debut in late March for an exhibition Liga MX soccer match.

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The work involved more than tearing out the old sod and rolling out new. Crews dug 8 inches to the gravel foundation and replaced the entire drainage system before sod was laid out. The infield, pitcher’s mound and warning track all contain new dirt.

The field replacement and paint job (both exterior and interior) cost roughly $1.5 million, money that came out of the stadium improvement fund established in 2018 by the city of Fresno and team owners Fresno Sports and Events LLC.

The improvement fund was also tapped last season ($2.8 million) for a new video scoreboard, sound system and stadium lights and in 2019 when two new outfield social areas were built and the club level remodeled ($3.4 million).

All that adds up to roughly $7.7 million in upgrades to Chukchansi Park over the last four offseasons.

“I keep telling people this is the best the ballpark has looked since 2002,” Franks said.

As a result of those investments, the stadium improvement fund (replenished annually by the city, the team and the $1 per ticket Arts, Park, Entertainment and Sports fee) is nearly dry, according to Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias.

Fresno will have to continue investing in the downtown stadium in order to satisfy new mandated standards set by Major League Baseball for minor-league facilities. Chukchansi Park requires an expansion of the visiting team’s clubhouse, dining area and offices; a separate locker room for women coaches and umpires; and a second climate-controlled indoor batting cage.

The price tag for those improvements is $4 million, said Arias, whose district includes downtown.

Grizzlies attendance rebounds in 2022

The 2023 season marks the 25th in Grizzlies history and third as a Colorado Rockies affiliate in the Class-A California League. (What would it require for Fresno to rejoin the Triple-A Pacific Coast League? The most realistic path: If/when Las Vegas gets a major-league team.)

Minor-league baseball as a whole enjoyed an attendance rebound last year, and the Grizzlies were no exception. Their 2022 per game average of 4,025 represented a 37% increase from 2021, according to ballparkdigest.com. However that figure remained below the 5,430 the team drew in 2019, its last season in Triple-A.

“I don’t think we’re going to grow another 37%, but I do think we’ll get back to (2019) attendance levels over the next couple years,” Franks said.

As usual, the Grizzlies have a packed promotional schedule featuring merchandise giveaways, specialty themes (i.e. Fresno Tacos, Lowriders de Fresno and Fresno Tigers) and off-kilter guest appearances including actor Leslie David Baker, who plays Stanley from “The Office.”

And, yes, there are still Friday night fireworks (plus opening day and Fourth of July) as well as Thirsty Thursday. Two 19.2-ounce cans of Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company beer for $10.

Another change, instantly noticeable to fans who follow Grizzlies games on the radio or streaming on MiLB.com, is that 20-year voice Doug Greenwald is no longer calling games.

Franks praised Greenwald’s work behind the mic, saying the decision was less about budget cuts and more a decision to “modernize our operations” by reallocating resources.

Play-by-play duties have been passed to Stephen Rice, who doubles as the team’s media relations coordinator.

“I have to be careful not to burn Steve out,” Franks said. “You’ll probably hear a few other voices throughout the year to give him a breather.”